Garder was encompassed in white. He looked at his hands to see that his fingers were still materializing. The temperature and atmosphere were placid. He then realized that he didn’t have a stitch on him. Nothing from wherever he had come from had gone with him. This was Hold, and the transient world was still functioning normally.

  Hold calculated Garder’s proportions and then materialized a plain white, gender-neutral pair of pants and long, flowing shirt along with two slipper-like shoes. He shook his head and gave it a scratch. Everyone was dazed, completely out of it when they entered Hold. Transferring out of life was a stressful thing, and appearing in this place took a toll on the mind.

  “Hm…” Garder thought. “Must’ve died… Can’t remember how…”

  He looked around. But he couldn’t see anyone. That was unusual.

  “Huh… Where is everyone? Did I get lost?”

  He eventually made out distant chattering. He woke up a little and decided to walk a bit to find the massive crowds of Hold. They had to be somewhere. Locating them should be easy. He stepped across the white world aimlessly, and after some time, hit something hard. As the “body” in Hold was entirely invincible, he felt only minimal pain.

  He stopped at the curiosity, then raised his hand and felt the solid barrier in front of him. He knocked on it, but no sound came.

  “Odd…” he thought. “What is this, a wall?”

  Then he looked down, and his eyes widened. He was a few thousand feet in the air, and under him were the countless dots of Hold’s people. He adjusted his blurred vision and focused them on the crowds below.

  He remembered Hold. It was a simple place with little to do except rest and communicate with others. No language existed—there was only a basic, universal understanding of one another. No reason to eat or drink. The body was perfect upon entering Hold. Deformities, disabilities, lost limbs, blindness and obesity—all were reversed. Everyone still looked different, but more alike than they ever would on Earth.

  Its citizens were only distinguishable through their current age, body type, skin color, gender, hairstyle, and facial features.

  On one part of Hold’s massive white expanse, people were lining up in front of the metallic doors leading to specific Cities. There were never any more than one or two people waiting to get in at “A,” while “D” and down were all quite packed with long lines of people walking in one at a time, each waiting for a birth to be transferred to. The judgment process typically took half one’s time in Hold—the other half, being patient.

  There was no line for “C”, and the door was locked shut with a large notice Garder couldn’t make out. The few in line for “Z” were locked up in cuffs and guarded closely. What a miserable way to enter Aurra—and it wasn’t as if they could hurt anyone or find a place to hide if they broke free.

  Past the crowds that condensed in the center of Hold and at the other end, were the overflowing arrival stations—there were about 300,000 arrivals each day. Babies and those too young to walk were carried out by Hold’s nurses, while confused newsouls required equal assistance. They had to keep the line moving, as people appeared shortly after death, and there was nowhere for them to go if the lines backed up over the entry tunnels.

  Garder could see two new arrival stations under construction to accommodate the ever-increasing number of daily transfers. On the other side were the stations for Aurra, its people generally less confused and more eager to get out of Hold and back to Earth.

  Also on the Aurrian side were the tunnels leading to Earth, which Garder couldn’t see from his position. Something echoed in the back of his mind, about people spending months in Hold these days, and they now had the option of returning directly to Earth. That wasn’t natural. You were supposed to live a full lifetime, every time. Who authorized such a thing? It needed to be corrected, but he didn’t know what he could do about it.

  Further out in the distance were the judgment compounds, wherein five universally mature judges would prod at your very existence and use tools to scale your soul’s “karmic ratio.” They’d take other things into consideration the more you told them, Hold making it impossible to lie, and then assign you to an Aurrian City. It was the worst part of the entire process, having people coldly examine one’s innermost feelings.

  Hold’s workers were constantly shifting like the people that existed at any moment there. Generally, one was required to assist in the white void for three months after any Aurrian life when they were five hundred to a thousand years old, but excuses were frequent. Those that volunteered themselves usually received karmic boosts for their work.

  When it was time to return to Earth, one was simply sent into the tunnel. Birthplaces were random, but personalities always followed.

  Few ever really liked coming to Hold. There was little to do but converse with their fellow man and wait for judgment to begin or to be transferred out. Many often tried to sleep the wait out on the cold, white floors. But sometimes, they might be reunited with someone while waiting. That was one benefit of the place—loved ones had the chance to get back together, however unlikely, before they were sent out to Aurra.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?”

  Garder turned to see the boy from earlier. Hold had cleaned his appearance some, and he was dressed in the same banal white garbs.

  “You…” Garder mumbled. “You’re the one that… killed me… You little punk. I’m going to beat the crap out of you.”

  “Geez, you’re really out of it, huh? Hey, wake up buddy. Don’t make me smack you around, okay?”

  “What do you want this time? Gonna kill me again?”

  “No, considering that’s not possible. Look down there. See that?” He walked up to the edge and peered for himself.

  “Yeah…”

  “That’s the rest of them. Everyone who dies. Everyone eventually. But we’re up here. Why is that, you think?”

  “Um… I don’t know. I saw you though… You fell off the cliff…”

  “Don’t patronize me, Garder. I killed myself. It’s the only way to get here—you have to die in the world you don’t currently belong in.”

  “Um… huh? Why?”

  “Don’t know exactly. My guess is that doing it causes some sorta system calibration error. Something is miscalculated, like our origins were unknown or some technical junk like that. Well, it puts us up here instead, outside of normal Hold boundaries. I personally think that the area we’re standing in is some sort of default Hold transfer location or fail-safe spot.”

  “You talk… different… And you’re… awake and stuff…”

  The boy rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’ve come here many times. Got used to the disorientation. Also, Hold has a subduing effect on people. My, um, behavior has been toned down a bit… heh. Anyway, come this way. I need to show you my home.”

  “Your home? Just who are you, crazy kid?”

  “Look behind you.”

  The boy turned Garder around. In the distance was a castle, just barely visible, but clearly distinguishable in the landscape of pure white.

  “What is that?” Garder mumbled.

  “That… is what we call the Kingdom of Hold. My mother is our queen, and I a prince, along with several older brothers.”

  ‘You’re a prince?” Garder laughed through his stupor.

  “Just one of the princes of the people who live in our fair kingdom. We each enjoy eternal life and a long youth. I am Prince Verim Grenwich. And I am a youthful two hundred-year-old born in Aurra. When I’m not here, I age fast. I’m careful when I leave and never stay out for long.”

  Garder laughed again. “Mm… that’s not possible.”

  “Our mother is kind and insightful. She can send me back to Aurra. But I must be careful in Aurra—if I die there, I go to the bad part of Hold. That’s no good. But I can die on Earth without that fear, so I spend much time there, too. Now, come. My mother wants to tell you some things.”

  “Is that why you killed me…?”

  “Er, yep…”

  “Couldn’t you have done it in a different way?” he shouted angrily. “I took you for a psychopath! What with those insane ravings of yours.”

  “But I offered you a nice pill, remember? But no, they never want it, they always just fight back. Anyway, I see you’re awake now.”

  “You’re damn right I’m awake, and I want to go back to Aurra!”

  “You must see my mother first. She has requested your presence. But she’ll send you back when the time comes, I promise. Oh, and it’s a long walk, as we hide the castle deep in Hold. We can’t have everyone seeing it. Except for those lucky few who join us—who we treat kindly. We have to. They all thought they were going to disappear forever just seconds before.”

  “So, I guess we don’t, huh…”

  “No! That’s just a lie the Guard made up! They know about this place, but they can’t do anything about it! That makes them angry.”

  “Okay…” Garder yawned. “If you say she can get me out of here, let’s go see this mother of yours.”

  “Good, good! Come now, she is anxious to meet you!”

  Verim tugged on Garder, and the two began their trek towards the distant castle, with nothing but blank landscape all around.

  “So Garder died…” Pangs murmured at his desk. “But the claws… they worked, did they not?”

  “Yes…” Milla answered. “They worked just fine…”

  “What should we do?” Lechi asked, Tanesh sitting loyally at her side. “Can we use the claws to enter Hold, or wherever we’re going to find him?”

  “I couldn’t be sure. Hold exists in such an… odd way.”

  “Rivia knew something about the claws,” Milla said. “But now, after you’ve been unable to contact him, we have to assume he’s missing. If we could only talk to him, I’m sure he’d tell us what’s going on—what we have to do. He had to have a reason to make us go out and fetch these things.”

  “Perhaps if you found his research, you’d also find some answers?”

  “City N—his office. He had mountains of books out last time I was there, and a giant personal library. If we could get back inside, we might be able to find something out. He must have quite a few secrets.”

  “I’m good at speeding through books,” Simon mentioned. “I could help you look through them.”

  “But we should be looking for Garder,” Lechi said.

  “You have a demirriage and two pairs of dimensional rift-opening claws,” Pangs replied. “You can practically go anywhere in either world with little effort. If anyone could find him, it’d be you, but it’d help if you had some guidance. I’d follow Milla’s suggestion and go back to his office.”

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  The group looked at one another and quietly agreed.

  “I can’t leave my plane here, though,” Simon added. “I’ll have to take it back to Algiers first. I’ll make my way up to wherever City N is and meet with you guys again.”

  “Are you sure, Simon?” Milla asked him via telepathy. “We could use your help, but we certainly won’t ask for it. You’ve done everything we needed. You could go home if you wanted.”

  “No…” Simon replied back, having learned the ability himself over his stay. “I really want to help Garder and you guys now.”

  Milla nodded, a little cautiously.

  “We should probably get a move on right away,” Jeryn said.

  They each stood up and offered Pangs their farewells.

  “I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said with a cough. “Let’s keep in contact, then. And if you find Rivia, tell him I said hi.”

  Back at their City C apartment, they packed their things and discussed their plans.

  “So… in three days, we’ll meet up in the Big Ben Tavern at noon. That’s when and where you’ll get me back to Aurra, right?” Simon asked.

  “Yes. Is that enough time for you?” Jeryn asked.

  “Should be, yeah.”

  “We’d give you a pair of claws, but I think it’d be better if we held onto them.”

  “That’s fine. Just don’t ditch me, okay? I really want to help out. I’m not going to go around telling the world about Aurra like some lunatic.”

  “We’ll come get you, we promise,” Milla said. “Now, how are we going to get inside Rivia’s office?”

  “Milla, do you have a good memory of the place?” Jeryn wondered.

  “Yes, I think so. Why?”

  “If you pilot the demirriage, you’d be able to warp us directly into it.”

  “Really? Would that work?”

  “His office is surrounded by glass, is it not?”

  “Yes…”

  “There should be enough sunlight to power the carriage on that side, then. Piloting it is easy—I’ll show you.”

  “I guess that’d work. Simon, take this in case you forget something in the City.” She handed him the portal key. “We’ll see you later, then.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Thanks for taking care of Tanesh,” Lechi said.

  “No problem. Take care.”

  The three parted ways with Simon and left the tower. Jeryn found a quiet alley and laid out the demirriage scroll. With the Aurrian sun at its highest, the light to power it was perfect. After it formed, they went inside and Jeryn gave Milla the simple instructions on how to operate the device.

  She concentrated on an image of Rivia’s large office, and then sent the carriage there as if she had piloted it a hundred times before.

  Less than a second later, they had appeared in the room. It was practically untouched since the day they had left it. Rivia’s two Great Danes barked at the presence of the carriage, but once they saw Milla step out of nearly thin air, they calmed down and greeted her with wagging tails.

  Jeryn rolled the carriage back up and looked around the office. There were thousands of books, and somewhere among them there must’ve been a clue on what Rivia’s intentions were.

  Suddenly, the two large wooden doors opened. A short, old man noticed the group and then quickly locked them shut again.

  “I was beginning to wonder when you’d arrive,” he said.

  “You were expecting us?” Jeryn asked.

  “Oh, yes. I’m Linsky—Rivia’s assistant. I haven’t seen him in quite some time now, but he instructed me that you are free to use his office.”

  They looked at one another curiously.

  “Did… he mention any specific books for us to look at, by any chance?” Milla questioned.

  “Well, no… Should he have?”

  “Never mind. Thank you for letting us in, Linsky… Um, we’ve got some research to do here. We’ll contact you if we need anything.”

  “Very well, then. Do take care of the volumes.”

  He quietly left, leaving the group with the two Danes and a museum of books, most at least a century old.

  “I suppose we could use Simon,” Milla said. “This will take a while.”

  “Rivia was expecting us to return here. He must have at least one book, or some research that we’re supposed to find,” Jeryn explained.

  “Well… let’s get to it,” Milla said with a sigh.

  Verim and Garder walked through the opened gate between the castle’s short walls. The kingdom was absolutely tiny, and only had a few stone structures built on top of the white ground. The two got a few looks as they entered the miniature palace, its floors covered in shining blue tile. There was no security to speak of, and most of the kingdom’s few citizens appeared to be lax and spent their time there reading old books.

  “People stumble upon this kingdom on occasion,” Verim explained as they walked up the steps leading to the castle. “Many stay for a while, but are free to leave whenever they want. There’s not much to do here, but some do like the freedom from the Guard and the quietness of it all.”

  “How do you get the material to build this?” Garder asked.

  “We have to transfer it from Earth or Aurra. It’s a long process. Bringing in a pound of solid material takes about a day. That’s why our kingdom is so small. But it started out, about eight thousand years ago, as nothing more than a single stone house with a few people wondering how they ended up here. We still don’t know who built the original place.”

  “And how is it that the queen here is your mother?”

  “She adopts us and calls us her own. I was just a small child when I came here, and she took a liking to me. We go on important missions for her sometimes. Bringing you here was my latest.”

  They went deeper inside the castle and through several doors before entering the throne room. It was carefully decorated with carvings and hanging artwork, and the single throne towards the stained-glass window in the back held the kingdom’s lone ruler.

  She was tall, graceful, and appeared to be as stoic as Milla could be. She looked over the arrivals as Verim’s four older brothers stepped out from the sides of the room. Garder and Verim were the only two wearing plain Hold clothing; everyone else had intricate garments similar to Aurra’s.

  “Garder Nolland, greetings,” the queen welcomed. “I hope that my son wasn’t… too rough on you.”

  “Um… not really, I guess,” he lied.

  “I’m sure that little Verim has already told you some things about our humble kingdom.”

  “Yes, mother,” he replied.

  “But you must have more questions. I am Queen Escellé. I preside over this small state in Hold. It is where dimensional travelers end up if their lives end in the world they were not born into. Once one discovers this place, they often come and go as they please over their lifetimes.”

  “But how is this possible? Do you abide by Hold’s rules?”

  “Yes, as long as we remain in this white, empty world—yes.”

  “And you age?”

  “People in Hold do age. Only, they do so slowly. It will take a child nearly two centuries to reach maturity. And once you’re as old I am, it’s as if you stop aging altogether. I’ve ruled over this place for a long, long time.”

  “So… why did you need to see me?”

  “Rivia requested that I help guide you along. I have certain information and capabilities that he couldn’t possess.”

  “This was all Rivia’s doing? Why me, then?”

  “That, I do not know.”

  “Don’t know… or can’t tell me?” Garder sighed. “He has some even bigger scheme in the works, huh? What does he want me to do now?”

  “He wanted you to find him. That was what he told me when last he came here. I believe he knew that someone was after him.”

  “I have to find him? Don’t you know where he is?”

  “No. Not at the moment. It sounded as if he had an important, likely dangerous mission to fulfill himself. What it is, and why he wanted to bring you here… are currently beyond me. Did you find the claws, Garder?”

  “Did he tell you to ask me that?”

  “Yes, he did.”

  “Then yes, I did find a few of the claws. We can travel through the dimensions with them.”

  “You don’t say…” Escellé’s eyes widened. “That would indeed be a powerful tool. Garder, listen to me. The information I have is vital to whatever Rivia’s grander plans would happen to be. I am certain that you have not heard of the ‘Fragmented City’. Am I wrong?”

  “Um… No, I’m not familiar with such a place.”

  “Of course not. Merely uttering those words with a higher-up of the Guard nearby is enough to get you arrested.”

  “So, the Fragmented City? What is this place?”

  “I only know little about it. But it does exist, and it must hold an importance if Rivia has spoke of it so fervently. It’s likely that you’d be able to use the claws you obtained to enter this place, but you have to find that out on your own. These are the facts I was asked to pass on. He chose me, because I am one of the few that can hide knowledge from anyone else.”

  “Find the Fragmented City. I’ve got it. Will this kingdom of yours serve any further purpose to us, then? Should I come back some day?”

  “You may think of it as a sanctuary. My people and I will continue to support you. If you ever need anything… well, you know how to find us. Now that I have fulfilled Rivia’s request, I can send you along your way so that you may continue your task. But I can’t, in good faith, leave you empty-handed. So, I will have one of our warriors assist you.”

  “I could just take Verim… I mean, he seems strong enough.”

  “Ah, sorry, Garder. I can’t come. There’s a main reason there, but I also need to go get my sword back—that’s why I tucked it away.”

  “You like that sword that much?”

  “Of course. It’s quite precious to me.”

  “There’s another issue with this, as well,” Escellé explained. “The process of bringing you back to Aurra is not an easy one. We must use a phase-shifting technique to transfer your body in full. The devices we use to do this must send you back within close proximity to your Aurrian birth place—where your soul was transferred last.”

  “Oh… I—I see. So, I’ll appear in City N’s hospital, then?”

  “Yes, exactly. I can only provide you with someone last from City N because of this, or else you may have difficulty meeting. Fortunately, I have at least one warrior for each City—aside from City A. That has always been an inconvenience. Shinamayu, come.”

  A young lady who had been hiding behind a column in the room sprung out and hurried over near the throne. Her black hair, curled into a bun, resided just a few inches over what appeared to be a kimono. She looked somewhat welcoming, but Garder couldn’t get over how short and thin she was. She didn’t even reach up to his neck.

  “Garder, this is Shinamayu Xin, our City N representative. She will help you in whatever trials you may face from here on out. This is how I will show you my gratitude for enduring a bit of pain and coming here.”

  “But please, call me Shin. I prefer it.”

  “Shin, huh?” Garder said. “You’re a little… um, small… aren’t you? And, no offense, but isn’t your short name a guy’s name?”

  She glared at Garder and fired back, “I happen to be a professionally trained assassin. I’ve killed numerous warlords in feudal Japan, and in more modern times, gang leaders in India. This life, I’ve used my small size to my advantage. Which typically begins when people underestimate me.”

  “Shin has been working with us for three lifetimes now. Her talents with the sword are exceptional, and she is also cunning and quick,” Escellé assured.

  Garder noticed the katana strapped to her back, which reached over her head and down to her knees. She seemed sharp and very attentive, and Garder had to admit that on second glance, he could read the talent she possessed simply be looking into her sturdy eyes.

  “Are you sure? We were doing all right up until now…”

  “Rivia suggested that I provide you with aid. So, please, take Shin with you, rejoin your group, and discover this Fragmented City that he had mentioned. That is where you need to aim for next.”

  “Okay…” Garder sighed. “I didn’t mean any offense or anything. I just never thought this assignment would be so involved. But thank you.”

  “And I’ll probably be seeing you later,” Verim added. “Yes, I have a feeling that we’ll all be just great friends soon. And you have a safe home here when you need it.”

  “So, what does transferring in full body form entail?” Garder asked.

  “The dimensional particles that surround your spirit must be rearranged and sent through space. You’ll become conscious again quickly, but you will materialize physically slowly. You’ll be something of a ghost at first. Use this time to find a good hiding place before you become solid… And I suggest finding an area where you can get hold of a new uniform.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “We can’t transfer out non-organic matter,” Escellé explained with a humorous smile.

  “Uh… does that mean what I think it does?”

  “Sure does,” Shin answered.

  “So where do you transfer to?” Garder chuckled.

  Shin blushed just a bit and looked miffed. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’ve got a private apartment I can go to with plenty of Aurrian and Earth clothes. Just make sure you’re decent when you meet me at the hospital.”

  “Okay, okay. I was kidding. Where are you going, Verim?”

  “City D. A hop away from N. I’ll catch up to you, but I’ve got to get my sword back first. I miss my sword…”

  “D, huh? You didn’t strike me as a ‘good boy.’ Escellé… I appreciate the info, but I can’t say, truthfully, that it was worth getting killed over.”

  “You may think that now, but you wouldn’t have learned about this Fragmented City otherwise. What I offer may be small, but it is enough to get you to the next step, all while letting you learn about us. Also, it should alleviate some of your fears about dying on Earth.”

  “If you say so, Queen…”

  “Hmm…” She grew distant for a moment as she looked at Garder and gave her silvery hair a twirl.

  “Escellé? Is there… something else?”

  “No. But you are quite handsome, Garder. I can also tell that you have a flame within you. You remind me of an old friend.”

  Garder didn’t know what to say and shuffled his feet a bit.

  “Yes, well then, Shin, would you please show him to the transferring station? And take care, you two.”

  “Yes, my lady. Garder, we’re going.”

  He gave his farewells to Escellé and Verim, and then followed Shin through the castle.

  “You ever get tired of the perpetual white outside?” he asked her as he glanced out of the windows at the plain landscape.

  “I know, it’s like being in a blinding light all the time. But you get used to it. Tell me, who is your group’s leader? I hope that it isn’t you.”

  “Great…” Garder sighed. “You’re just like Lechi…”

  “Who’s she? Your leader?”

  “Ha-ha! Ah… no. We have an alchemagist named Jeryn.”

  Shin stopped in her tracks and turned to Garder.

  “J-Jeryn? Klowsk?”

  “Um, yes…”

  “I see… I think I understand now. Anyway, continue.”

  “Are you saying Jeryn has some deep, dark past here or something?”

  “I shouldn’t say anything at this point. Now you already realize that I know of him, but to say more would be like talking behind his back.”

  “Fine…” he groaned. “I already feel like all of this is going above my head or something. Might as well add to the mountain of secrets.”

  “Let us trust Rivia’s judgment for now. He is not the kind to ask of such large undertakings lightly. Here’s our stop, Garder.”

  She opened a metal door held snugly between two of the ancient hall’s pillars. Inside was a clean laboratory, two waiting workers watching over three capsules covered in wiring. Two of the units had the universal Aurrian infinity icon embossed in them, while another depicted the Earth.

  “For Aurrians,” Shin said. “The Earth one we can’t use… it’s just there in case a traveling Earthen somehow stumbles upon Aurra and dies there. We’ve never even used it outside of a few tests.”

  “Do I have to take my Hold rags off here or something?” Garder said, observing how much his plain uniform paled in comparison to Shin’s decorated outfit.

  “Uh, no… Thankfully. Just walk in. Your clothes will stay behind. Actually, being a Hold uniform, it will just evaporate after a few seconds.”

  “Got it.”

  “Remember, no one will see you while you materialize. But you’ll shock people if you suddenly appear in the nude in the hospital ward.”

  “You just described being born in the first place. Look, I get it.”

  She let out a small laugh and strode into the capsule. It charged up for a second before firing off a beam of energy. Shin’s body vanished into the air, her clothes and sword falling to the bottom of the capsule.

  Garder looked on in wonder for a moment before he went into his own transfer capsule. The nearby worker then gave him an awkward smile before sending him back to Aurra.